


As Long As You'll Have Me

by sambyosis



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Beause I have no idea when this is happening, But it's there, Elusive magician is elusive, Established Relationship, I like to think I'm clever, Julian and the Apprentice are friends, M/M, Staying in one place? Asra doesn't know her, We're gonna ignore canon for a hot second, it's not official, kind of, this is self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:02:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15068768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sambyosis/pseuds/sambyosis
Summary: Asra was an enigma. That much was certain. You never knew what could happen with him. Leaving for a year? Not something to be expected at all. His apprentice awoke one night to see him packing for another journey of his, and while normally the longest journey had maybe been two months, he wasn't prepared for the feelings that followed his most recent one.





	As Long As You'll Have Me

(Name) stirred from his sleep, awoken by a dream he couldn't even remember. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and his hand went to the other side of the bed. It was empty, but still warm. The darkness of the room suggested it was still night. (Name) suppressed a groan, knowing what was coming. He threw the blankets off and padded into the main room of the shop, and as he suspected, he found Asra packing quickly and silently. He saw Faust laying on the table beside Asra's bag, but perked up when she saw him. 

 

" _ Friend! _ ' she said, slithering over to him. 

 

(Name) smiled sweetly at his master's familiar. "Hello, Faust." His eyes slid up to see Asra, a look of guilt present in his features. "So? You're leaving in the middle of the night again?"

 

Asra's face flushed and he cleared his throat. "Erm... yes. I'm really sorry to have to do this again."

 

"And let me guess, I'd get a vague note and have no clue where you were going?" 

 

Asra flinched, but didn't give him a response. He heaved a sigh through his nose and walked over to his apprentice, hugging him tightly. Faust slithered from (Name's) arm up to her master's neck. "You do know that I don't like leaving you, right?"

 

"I know," (Name) said, his voice quiet. A few sniffles escaped him as tears dripped from his eyes. "I just... you've been leaving so much lately. I can't even contact you to know if you're dead or alive..."

 

Asra hugged him tighter. "I'll always come back to you, (Name)."

 

"You'd better." 

 

Asra chuckled, and brushed some of the hair out of (Name's) eyes. He buried his head in the man's shoulder taking in his scent and relishing in the feeling of his aura, however sad it may have seemed.

 

"I need to finish packing, love," he murmured. He kissed the forehead of the man in front of him and wiped the tears from his cheeks. " I have to leave before the morning comes.  

 

It took took every ounce of (Name's) willpower to not just grab him and hold him tight. Fresh tears bubbled over and fell, but he wiped them away as quickly as they'd come. Asra closed his bag and wrapped his scarf around his face. When he grabbed his hat, he turned toward his apprentice one more time. (Name) walked over just as Faust peeked her head out from the scarf. He pecked the top of the snake's head lightly, and she seemed happy with the affection. He turned to Asra, only to see his violet eyes burning with something he couldn't place. He pulled the scarf down, and hands came up to twist into white hair. His lips brushed against Asra's so faintly it was like they never even touched. 

 

" _ I'll miss you, _ " he whispered. 

 

Asra let out something akin to a whine and kissed (Name) firmly. His hands gently cupped his apprentice's face, trying to convey every emotion he felt. _I don't want to leave. I want to stay. I'll miss you so much. I'm yours._ ** _I love_** **_you_** _._ When he pulled away, it was far too soon. He put on his hat and pulled his scarf up once more. He opened the door and (Name) followed him out to the doorstep. 

 

"I'll be back soon," Asra said. 

 

(Name) watched him walk down the street, turn a corner, and completely disappear. When he went back into the shop, and the door closed, separating them completely, he slid to the floor and he erupted into the sobs he so desperately tried to hold back. Even after living with Asra for a while, him leaving has never gotten an easier. If he was being honest, the more time he spent with him, the more attached he got, and the more it felt like Asra was stealing a piece of his heart every time he left. He slowly pulled himself off the ground, and stumbled to the bed as he tried to see through the tears. He climbed ungracefully into bed and tried to find any traces of Asra, be it his scent or other things before they disappeared entirely, trying to drown out the scent of jasmine and tea that always hung around the shop. The smell of home.  _ Their  _ home. The home that didn’t feel like home. Not without  _ him.  _

 

~

  
  


Summer was not-so-subtly creeping into Vesuvia, leaving the early mornings quite moderate, and the midday absolutely scorching. (Name) had gotten up earlier than usual to head to the market for the first time in a long while. He wanted to pay a visit to the baker, who had always been a dear friend to him. He dressed quickly, wanting to get back to the shop before temperatures started to rise. 

 

The market was incredibly busy that morning, with people flitting between the stalls and making conversation. They must have had the same idea as him. When he headed to the baker’s stall and sat down, he was greeted with a warm smile. 

 

“(Name)! Is that you?” the baker asked, jokingly rubbing his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “I thought you’d dropped off the face of the Earth! You’ve not been by here in a long while.”

 

“Yes. Things have been quite busy at the shop as of late,” he said.  _ Having to work alone makes it much more difficult than it should be,  _ he thought almost bitterly. “I’ve not had a lot of free time. How have things been?”

 

The baker shrugged as he turned to take fragrant bread from the oven. “I’ve been pretty busy myself. With the masquerade coming up, I’ve been getting quite a few orders from people who want to celebrate that can’t go to the party. Not to mention the Count wanted me to bake a cake for the event.”

 

(Name) felt a genuine smile come to his face. “That’s wonderful news! It could mean good business for your shop, despite how pompous the circumstances.”

 

“It is,” the baker snorted. He took a loaf of bread and wrapped in cloth. “Here.”

 

(Name) gratefully took the loaf. The smell of spice and pumpkin overflowed from the cloth, and when he took a bite of the bread, he almost moaned. “Oh my Gods. This is as good as I remember.”

 

He moved to take some money from his pocket, but the baker grabbed his had before he could place it on the table. 

 

“Please. It’s on the house,” he said. 

 

“Oh! But I insist you--”

 

The baker waved a hand dismissively. “And  _ I  _ insist you take it. You’ve seemed down this past while. You look like you could use some familiarity.”

 

“Thank you. So much,” (Name) said, incredibly grateful for the man’s kindness. 

 

He waved goodbye as he left the stall to head back to the shop. The bread was gone before he reached the edge of the marketplace. He glanced over to see a fortune teller’s booth. The woman called out to him. 

 

“Would you like the cards read for you, wanderer?” she asked. 

 

_ What’s the harm?  _ he thought. It wasn’t often that he got readings from other people. He walked over to the stall, which was filled with purples and magentas. It was very reminiscent of the shop in a way. He sat down on one of the plush cushions in front of the small table. The woman shuffled her deck, which was starkly different from his own hand-painted cards. The deck, which sat in a pouch on his belt, was like a weight. Asra’s journey -- which seemed more like a disappearance for how long he’d been gone -- still affected him greatly. (Name) was distracted by his thoughts while picking his cards, so he really wasn’t sure what kind of reading he would receive. When she turned the first card over, he raised an eyebrow. 

 

**_The Three of Swords, upright_ **

 

“You’ve experienced an especially terrible separation. It’s affected you quite harshly. You must let that go before you can ever move forward.”

 

_ Tell me something I don’t already know.  _

 

**_The Eight of Cups, upright_ **

 

“You feel abandoned and disappointed. I’m guessing it’s that separation coming back in to play.” She eyed him thoughtfully, but he was trying his hardest to listen to what the cards had to say. 

 

“Please, continue,” he said distractedly.

 

She turned the final card over to reveal  **_The Nine of Cups, upright._ **

 

“Oh! You will soon find happiness in your future. Your wishes will be fulfilled.”

 

He snorted. “That’s it? ‘I’ll find happiness in my future’? I have no wishes that need granting, and I doubt that happiness is coming any time soon.”

 

He couldn’t hear the cards when someone else was doing the reading, which annoyed him a little. There’s the base meanings of the cards, of course, but it’s different to hear what they mean from the spirits themselves. 

 

“You’re a magician are you not?”

 

“Y-...Yes I am. I run a shop near here.”

 

She pointed at him with a crooked finger and gave him a hard look. “Then trust in the cards, boy. They know more than you or I.”

 

(Name) nodded his head and pressed some coin on the table before he left. As he was leaving, the woman gave him his “lucky numbers” supposedly. 6, 21, 10, and 17. He stowed those away in his mind to see what would become of them. 

 

When he arrived back at the shop, before he could even unlock the door, he heard shuffling inside and things moving around. He cast a quick silencing spell on the lock and turned the key. He opened the door and had his hands raised, ready to cast a spell, but was met with a yelp. When he got a good look, he found it was only his friend, Doctor Julian Devorak. (Name) breathed a sigh of relief as he swatted the man in the chest and fixed him with a glare. 

 

“Why do you keep doing this?” he asked frustratedly. 

 

Julian grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well it’s not like I  _ broke in _ . I have a key.”

 

“Yes, yes. One that was so graciously gifted to you by Asra,” (Name) muttered. “But he’s not here. Why do you keep coming?”

 

“Oh,  _ ouch _ , (Name). You’ve become such a recluse lately, you could use some healthy human interaction,” Julian said mockingly. 

 

“I talk to customers at the shop,” (Name) supplied. 

 

“Doesn’t count,” Julian said.

 

The magician fixed Julian with an unimpressed look. “I went out into the market. I was just there. I talked to the baker and even a fortune teller. That’s where I was while you were pilfering for Gods know what.”

 

“After what, four months? Five?” Julian pressed. 

 

“...Six.”

Julian’s threw his hands up in exasperation. “ _ Six months! _ ” 

 

“Oh shut up. At least I’m interacting with customers,” (Name) grumbled. 

 

“It’s because it’s your job!” Julian said, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him lightly. “It doesn’t count.”

 

(Name) jerked from the other man’s grip and glared at him over his shoulder as he went to take the stairs to his room. “Asra isn’t here, Ilya--” Julian flinched at the use of his real name in such a harsh tone. “--and you’ll find that my patience is thin right now. So if you don’t actually need anything from me,  _ please _ leave.” 

 

Julian looked almost sad, and (Name) didn’t glance back at him as he went up the stairs. He almost felt bad for being so rude, but Julian was a hypocrite when it came to nagging. He really didn’t need to hear it at that moment. When he arrived at his room, he kicked off his boots and looked out the window to the sundial in the courtyard below. It about about 7, so he needed to open the shop in an hour. He fell unceremoniously onto his bed, deciding that he could take a quick nap before he opened. He closed his eyes, but just as he was drifting off into slumber, he heard the door to his room open. Footsteps came closer and the bed dipped from the weight of someone sitting on it. (Name) cracked an eye open and saw Julian sitting with his back to him. 

 

“Thought I asked you to leave,” he grumbled, his voice a little groggy. 

 

Julian shrugged. “Thought you might need me.”

 

(Name) scoffed. “I don’t need anyone, thank you.”

 

“That’s a bold faced lie, and you and I both know it.” Julian turned to look at him, and he saw the pain he felt reflected in the doctor’s eyes. “You need him. You miss him.”

 

“He sure doesn’t miss me,” (Name) hissed. His heart clenched a little and he turned over to actually face Julian. “Not a word in a year, Ilya.”

 

Julian sighed and took one of (Name’s) hands gently. “I know how you feel. That...bitterness. The contempt. I used to feel the same.” 

 

“He left you for this long?”

 

“Worse,” Julian said. “He’s pretty much left me for good. Our separation was a mutual agreement, but it wasn’t on good terms.”

 

(Name’s) eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you two were friends?”

Julian’s answering smile said it all. Oh. He felt almost guilty for complaining so much about Asra if that was how things ended. He was somewhat aware of their past relationship, but Asra never gave him too many details. He always assumed that it was just him being mysterious about his forgotten past…

“I’m...very sorry,” he said. “I never knew.”

 

“It’s fine. I’m just going to give you a bit of advice,” Julian replied. “Don’t succumb to the temptation of bitterness. If he wants to come, he’ll come. If he doesn’t, it’s his loss.”

 

(Name) gave his friend a small smile and  tight hug. Julian tensed and awkwardly returned the affection. The magician heaved a deep sigh before he pulled away. “What would I do without you?”

 

“I don’t know, really. Probably fall apart,” Julian joked. 

 

“I believe you.”

 

Julian stood and headed toward the door of (Name’s) room. “I’ll be around again sometime soon to make sure you’re not holing yourself up in here too much.”

 

(Name) waved goodbye with a short wave of his hand. Talking to Julian definitely made him feel better. He’d have to do something for him in the near future to repay him. His eyes slid closed and he fell into a sweet, dreamless sleep. 

 

~

 

Winter was here. The sky had been a little overcast and grey and a chill had seeped into the air. (Name) and Julian were currently in the shop, decorating a little for the winter solstice. Julian had told him about a tradition from his home country of decorating a tree around solstice and burning a log in the fireplace. There weren’t any trees in Vesuvia like Julian had described, but there was a plant in the shop that he’d jokingly suggested they decorate. It was just some simple garland, but it seemed to humor the doctor. Once they finished, they sat in front of the fireplace drinking warm mugs of tea and discussing the upcoming season

. They were only interrupted by the door opening. (Name) looked back, and what he saw made him drop his mug, which then shattered on the floor. 

Asra stood in the doorway, bag slung over his shoulder and hat in hand. (Name) couldn’t even move. His heart beat a million miles a minute and his eyes welled with tears. Julian stood and set his mug down on the counter. He said a quick goodbye to (Name) and brushed passed Asra, not even sparing him a glance. They hardly noticed him leaving. (Name) suddenly found his voice.

 

“A-Asra.. I...I...” he choked out. 

His lover dropped his things and ran over to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. (Name’s) body wracked with sobs at the familiar warmth and love he felt. Asra stroked his hands through his apprentice’s hair, speaking greetings and sweet nothings in a gentle, soft voice. (Name’s) hands tightly twisted into Asra’s clothes, terrified to let him go. Gods, he wanted to be furious at him for leaving so long, but feeling his touch again made all of his thoughts wash away. After a stretch of time, he had finally calmed down to just sniffles and a couple of stray tears. His eyes were puffy and red and he probably looked disgusting, but Asra looked at him like he hung the stars regardless. (Name) leaned back to take a look at him. He didn’t look all too different at all from when he saw him last. His eyes were bright, his skin still seemed to have the beautiful glow, and his hair was as messy as ever. (Name) laid a hand on Asra’s face, which he leaned into with the smallest of smiles. 

 

“Am I dreaming?” he asked. 

 

He felt more than heard Asra’s chuckle, and he had a playful glint in his eyes. “I can assure you that you aren’t.”

 

(Name) didn’t hesitate to pinch himself, just to be absolutely certain. Asra couldn’t contain his smile and he took one of (Name’s) hands and pressed a light kiss to his knuckles. The man’s breath hitched at the contact and a flush spread from his neck to his ears. He keened and fell into Asra, pressing their lips together with no hesitation. They moved fluidly together with the confidence of old lovers, which really wasn’t too far off. (Name’s) back hit the floor as he pulled Asra on top of him. Asra huffed a laugh though his nose and pulled away to catch his breath. 

 

“I’m home, (Name),” he whispered.

 

(Name) looked up at his master, and felt his heart clench a little. “For how long?”

 

Asra’s eyes looked pained when he asked, but gave him a short, sweet kiss. His signature smile played at the corners of his lips, replacing the feeling from before as he gazed into his apprentice’s eyes. The magician spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

  
“ _For as long as you’ll have me._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> I'll write more stuff for The Arcana soon, I promise. I just need to get caught up on the other routes first. (Expect something for garbage boy stink goat sometime soon, though.)


End file.
